Football, punch ball, net ball, and the like



- Dec. 19, 1922.

, F. A. TURNER.

FOOTBALL, umcu BALL, NET BALL, AND THE LIKE.

FILED NOV. I0. 1921.

Patented Dec. 19, 1922.

stares;

iaaarse asst roo'rBeLL, runon BALL, NET BALL, AND 'rnn LI E.

' Application filed November 10, 1921. Serial No, 514,239. I

, To all whom c't may'oonoern: s-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK ART UR TURNER, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain and Ireland, "residing at London, England, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Footballs, Punch Balls, NetBalls, and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates "to balls for playing 10. football, :punchballnet ball and. the like games.

It is well known inthe case of balls for thesegaines of the type havingan outer leather or canvas case or cover, enclosing an inner inflatablebladder or ball,that' i t is often very difficult effectively to closethe aperture in the outer'case after inflation to the required degree ofhardness, so as to properly rotect the inner bladder or ball, and thatit, is also difficult to secure thelace, where such is eniployecL'so-zthat its ends do not protrude, which may cause'accident.

In order to close the aperture in the cover .of balls of the foregoingdescription, it has already been proposed to provide strips of leatheror other materiahieach strip being attached at one end tothe interior ofthe casing, at or close, to the edge of the aper ture, and-at the otherend, also tothe interior of the casing, at'the other side of theaperture and at some little distance therefrom.

' The object of the present invention is an improved arrangement wherebythe edges of the aperture are drawn together in a more effective mannerand are less likely'to project fromthe peripheral surface ofthe ballthan has been the case with previous constructions.

1 According 40 casing'having-an aperture of the usual form each of whichis attached t'othe outer cover or casing at three places, namely at oneend to the interior of -the cover or casing at some distance from theaperture, at the other end to theinterior of thecover or casing, at theotherside .of'the aperture, and.again inter- "mediate its ends to theinterior of the cover or casing at or in close proximity to one "edge tomy invention, I provide a tion'into practice ofthe aperture. I preferthat the adjacent bands, strips, cords orthe'likeshall be attachedalternately to opposite sides of the edge of the. aperture.

This arrangement'is-found to give a partieularly advantageous,result'a's the radial pressure upon the portion of the band, stripsorthe like betweenthe edge where it is attached" and the end on'the sameside Counter-acts a .tend y edge tdhe pulled oriturned outwards which isfoundt'o exist in some cases where the strlp orthe like is simplyattached near the edge.

, A somewhat similar" dvantageous result maybe obtained in a modifiedconstruction, in which I employ one 'or' more bands or strips, the endsofeach strip being attached to the opposite edges of'theaperture andthestrip extending completely around the inner ing or "otherwise? As,compared witlr previous constructions of the kind before men 'tioned, itis'tobe observed'that with my and at the other "end to theinner coveror. easing-on the other side, of the aperture and at some littledistance therefrom; In order that the, invention may periphery orsurface of theouter cover orcas1ng,to which it'may be attached bystitch- I be more clearly understood, reference is made to'theaccompanyingdrawings, 'which show, way of example, two methods ofcarrying 'theinventi'on into effect as appliedito an ordinary football.7

v f Fig. lis a plan view of-thefootball. and I furnish bands,strips,-cords1or the like,

line 2-2, Fig. l.

Fig. 2 is a part transverse section on the Fig. 5 is a verticaltransverse sectional view ofthe upper P01131011: of Fig. 2', to anenlarge'dscale k g Fig. 4 is a" diagrammatic illustration of themodifiedfm'ethod of carrying the inven- In the constructionillustratedi'n bands, strips, cords or the like 0, The bands c-and (iare'each attached as tor instance by one or more rows of stitches to theinner surface of the outer case (rat three points. The bands areattached intermediate their ends to the edge 5 of the aperture andattheirends at the point e, c to the casing, whilst the .bands dareattached intermediate theirends to the opposite edge 6 of the aperture3), and at their ends at the point 6 e of the casing. The length of thebands between the three points of at tachment to the outer case ispreferably equal to or slightly less than the circumferential length ofthe inner surface oi the outer case between the corresponding. pointsthereof, when the ball is inflated. By this arrangement when the innerball is inflated, the bands are pressed tightly against the. innersurface of the outer case and the pressure exerted by the inner. ballcauses the edges 6 ,6 of the aperture F) to be drawn closely together.

By attaching the ends of the bands 0 and (Z to the case on oppositesides of and at points some distance from the aperture the pressureexerted by the inflated ball is distributed in such a manner as toprevent distortion ofthe ball when fully inflated whilst by arrangingthe bands 0 and din pairs as shownithe pull on the sides of the apertureZ is more evenly distributed over its length consequently the tendencyr'or the aperture to become. distorted is eliminated.v v

The-length ol the portions of each of the bands or strips between theirends and the point of attachment to the edge of theaperture I) need notnecessarily be equal, furthermore the strips 6 (Z insteadofbeingarranged alternately as shown may be arranged in any other suitable.mannen Similarly three. or more. than four strips'or bands may beprovided if necessary. v

7 Referring.- now to'the construction illustrated in F ig. 4, g isabandiustrip orrcord having a lengthcorresponding to or slightly lessthan. the circumferential lengtlrof the inner surface of the ball. Thestrip 9 is attached -at;opposite ends 9?, g toopposite sides of theaperture 6 whilst intermediate its ends it is attached to the case, atone or inore" points; the. drawing showing. the: same attached: to thecase at a point g situated approximately diametrically opposite theaperture 12.. The action whenv the inner ball is inflatedissubstantially the same as that described with reference to Figs. 1 to3.

Although I have shown only one band or strap 9 in Fig. 4, I prefer toemploy two or more so that the closing pull on the sides of the apertureZ) is more equally distributed.

The straps g may be either substantially parallel or they may be crossedor arranged in any other suitable manner. The'bands or strips 0 d and ,rare preferably formed of a'mat'erialsuch as webbing or the like flexiblematerial, which will be practically unstretchable.

The edges of theaperture I) may if desired, be proricleduvitli flaps orthe like which are drawn up beneath the edges of the aperture when theball is inflated.

lVhat l'claiin as my invention and desire to obtain by Letters Patent ofthe United States of America'is I 1. In a football, punchball, net ballor the like, the combination otan outer cover, provided with anaperture, an inner inflatable ball and means for automatically closingball is inflated, said means comprising a. flexible non-stretchablemember located within said cover, said member being at tached atits endsto the cover on opposite sides of and at some distance from the apertureand intermediate its ends to the cover in the neighbourhood of one edgeof said aperture, for the purposes setfortln 2. In a football,punchball, netball or the like, the combination of anouter coverprovided with an'aperture, an inner inflatable ball and means forautomatically closing the. aperture in the cover as the ball isinflated, said means comprisin flexible nonstretchable members locatedwithin the coyer, said members being attached alternately intermediatetheir ends to opposite edges o'l said zlpOltHl'Q and attheir ends toopposite sides of and at'somezdista-nce tron'l said aperture, glfor theimrposes set forth.

3. A. football, punchball, netball, or. the like comprising an outercover, anaperture in said cover, an inner inflatable ball, and

means for auton'iatically drawing-the edges of saidaperture; together asthe ball isin- Y iiated; said means comprising. a plurality of. flexiblenon-stretchable members, each attached at its ends to the iIItGIlOF'Ofthe coverat points thereof located .Oiropposite sides of and at somedistance from said aperture and attached to one:edge of said apertureintermediate its ends, the length of said'members between the point ofattachment to said edge and thepoint of attachment to the cover on theopposite side of'said aperture being less than the circumferentiallength of, the. cover between the I corresponding points thereon, forthepurposes set forth.

4. A football, punchball, netball or the like comprising an outer cover,an inner inflatable bail, an elongated aperture in said to oppositeedges of said aperture for the cover and means for automatically closlngpurposes set forth.

said aperture as the ball is inflated, said In testimony whereoi I havehereunto means comprising a plurality of flexible afiiXed my signaturethis 24th day of Octo- 5 n0n-stretchabie strips, arranged in pairs, ber,1921. each stri) of each pair being secured at each end to the interiorof the cover on. FREDERICK ARTHUR TURNER opposite sides of and at somedistance from In the presence of i said aperture and the strips of eachpair I HfRO'WLEY, 10 being secured intermediate the ends thereof A. E.VIDAL.

